Yen Press Launches New Manga Series - I"M A BEHEMOTH
Publisher Yen Press takes readers on a hilarious, fantasy action/adventure with the launch of the new manga series - I'm a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl's Pet.
The series, written by Nozomi Ginyoku with artwork by Taro Shinonome and Yanomitsuki, debuts Tues., April 21st, 2020 in print and digitally. It’s rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers.
Yen Press announced the launch of the series earlier on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yenpress/status/1252622755696123904
A comedic fantasy manga based on the popular light novel series. In this new adventure, a knight finds himself reincarnated as a behemoth, one of the most powerful monsters in the world, and when he meets a beautiful elf girl, he's ready to fight at her side. Problem is, a baby behemoth looks an awful lot like...a housecat?!
Yen Press will also launch the original light novel series for I'm a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl's Pet under its Yen On literary imprint this summer.
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Thursday, April 23, 2020
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Skydance Media Forms "Skydance Animation Madrid"
Skydance Media Acquires Animation Unit of Madrid-Based Ilion Studios
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skydance Media, the diversified global media company founded by David Ellison in 2010, announced it has acquired the animation unit of Madrid-based Ilion Studios, a world leader in state-of-the-art animation production, to form Skydance Animation Madrid. This strategic acquisition combines the creative capital of Skydance with Ilion’s best-in-class talent, ensuring Skydance Animation’s full oversight of all production aspects guaranteeing quality control throughout the life cycle of every project.
“This is a phenomenal growth opportunity for our team in Spain and we’re proud to be an integral part of Skydance’s exciting future.”
With a combined workforce of almost 500 employees across two continents, Skydance Animation now has the expanded creative capability, scale and leverage to deliver on its goal of becoming an industry-leading producer of high-end animated films and television series for audiences around the world.
Led by animation visionary John Lasseter and industry veteran Holly Edwards, Skydance Animation has rapidly grown to support a robust development and expanded production slate. Since its inception, Skydance Animation’s roster of creatives has grown to include an array of award-winning talent, including Vicky Jenson, director of the first ever Academy Award-winner for Best Animated Feature, Shrek; Peggy Holmes; Nathan Greno; Kiel Murray; Lauren Hynek; Elizabeth Martin and Tony Award-nominee and Writers Guild of America West’s Animation Writers Caucus lifetime achievement honoree Linda Woolverton.
“The world is going through an unprecedented and uncertain time. Today’s acquisition marks the culmination of many months of work to build one studio across two continents, with the goal of creating the highest-quality animation, led by best-in-class talent from around the world,” said David Ellison, chief executive officer of Skydance Media. “The addition of Skydance Animation Madrid to our portfolio of businesses underlines my passion and commitment to bringing iconic animated stories and characters to life from some of the most talented artists and voices in the industry.”
“We are excited to expand our partnership with Skydance Animation and to further collaborate with Skydance founder David Ellison and elite talent like John Lasseter and Holly Edwards,” said Ignacio Pérez Dolset, founder, president and chief creative officer of Ilion. “This is a phenomenal growth opportunity for our team in Spain and we’re proud to be an integral part of Skydance’s exciting future.”
Skydance Animation’s upcoming feature slate includes:
Luck
Directed by Peggy Holmes (The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning) and written by Kiel Murray (Cars, Cars 3) and Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger (the Kung Fu Panda series).
When the unluckiest girl alive stumbles upon the never-before-seen world of good and bad luck, she must join together with magical creatures to uncover a force more powerful than even luck itself.
Spellbound (working title)
Directed by Vicky Jenson (Shrek, Shark Tale) and written by Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin (Mulan [2020]) and Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King).
A musical fantasy set in a world of magic where a young girl sets out to break the spell that has split her kingdom in two.
Pookoo (working title/currently in development)
Written and directed by Nathan Greno (Tangled) and produced by Jennifer Magee-Cook (The Princess and the Frog).
In addition, Skydance Animation has a slate of soon-to-be-announced high-end television series in various stages of development.
Ilion Animation Studios creates state-of-the-art computer animated feature films of the highest level, combining cutting-edge technology with top artistic quality. Ilion’s animation unit has become a model studio on a global basis, capable of attracting talented individuals who create best-in-class animation production.
Latham & Watkins LLP (Los Angeles and Madrid) acted as legal adviser to Skydance Media and Loyra Abogados (Madrid) provided counsel to Ilion in this transaction.
------------------
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skydance Media, the diversified global media company founded by David Ellison in 2010, announced it has acquired the animation unit of Madrid-based Ilion Studios, a world leader in state-of-the-art animation production, to form Skydance Animation Madrid. This strategic acquisition combines the creative capital of Skydance with Ilion’s best-in-class talent, ensuring Skydance Animation’s full oversight of all production aspects guaranteeing quality control throughout the life cycle of every project.
“This is a phenomenal growth opportunity for our team in Spain and we’re proud to be an integral part of Skydance’s exciting future.”
With a combined workforce of almost 500 employees across two continents, Skydance Animation now has the expanded creative capability, scale and leverage to deliver on its goal of becoming an industry-leading producer of high-end animated films and television series for audiences around the world.
Led by animation visionary John Lasseter and industry veteran Holly Edwards, Skydance Animation has rapidly grown to support a robust development and expanded production slate. Since its inception, Skydance Animation’s roster of creatives has grown to include an array of award-winning talent, including Vicky Jenson, director of the first ever Academy Award-winner for Best Animated Feature, Shrek; Peggy Holmes; Nathan Greno; Kiel Murray; Lauren Hynek; Elizabeth Martin and Tony Award-nominee and Writers Guild of America West’s Animation Writers Caucus lifetime achievement honoree Linda Woolverton.
“The world is going through an unprecedented and uncertain time. Today’s acquisition marks the culmination of many months of work to build one studio across two continents, with the goal of creating the highest-quality animation, led by best-in-class talent from around the world,” said David Ellison, chief executive officer of Skydance Media. “The addition of Skydance Animation Madrid to our portfolio of businesses underlines my passion and commitment to bringing iconic animated stories and characters to life from some of the most talented artists and voices in the industry.”
“We are excited to expand our partnership with Skydance Animation and to further collaborate with Skydance founder David Ellison and elite talent like John Lasseter and Holly Edwards,” said Ignacio Pérez Dolset, founder, president and chief creative officer of Ilion. “This is a phenomenal growth opportunity for our team in Spain and we’re proud to be an integral part of Skydance’s exciting future.”
Skydance Animation’s upcoming feature slate includes:
Luck
Directed by Peggy Holmes (The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning) and written by Kiel Murray (Cars, Cars 3) and Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger (the Kung Fu Panda series).
When the unluckiest girl alive stumbles upon the never-before-seen world of good and bad luck, she must join together with magical creatures to uncover a force more powerful than even luck itself.
Spellbound (working title)
Directed by Vicky Jenson (Shrek, Shark Tale) and written by Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin (Mulan [2020]) and Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King).
A musical fantasy set in a world of magic where a young girl sets out to break the spell that has split her kingdom in two.
Pookoo (working title/currently in development)
Written and directed by Nathan Greno (Tangled) and produced by Jennifer Magee-Cook (The Princess and the Frog).
In addition, Skydance Animation has a slate of soon-to-be-announced high-end television series in various stages of development.
Ilion Animation Studios creates state-of-the-art computer animated feature films of the highest level, combining cutting-edge technology with top artistic quality. Ilion’s animation unit has become a model studio on a global basis, capable of attracting talented individuals who create best-in-class animation production.
Latham & Watkins LLP (Los Angeles and Madrid) acted as legal adviser to Skydance Media and Loyra Abogados (Madrid) provided counsel to Ilion in this transaction.
------------------
Sunday, April 19, 2020
"Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort" Airs Wed., April 22nd
Anthony Anderson Joins Kelly Rowland, Terrence J, and Regina Hall as Host of “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT” Special Set to Air on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 8 PM EDT
Performances by Alicia Keys, John Legend, Usher, Jhene Aiko, Chloe X Halle, CeeLo Green, H.E.R., Ella Mai, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Swae Lee, Tyrese Gibson, Buju Banton, DJ D-Nice, SiR, D Smoke and Charlie Wilson
Gospel Performance by Kirk Franklin, Fantasia, Jonathan McReynolds, Kelly Price, Tasha Cobbs, Le’Andria Johnson and Melvin Crispell III
Additional Appearances by Tiffany Haddish, Idris Elba, Ciara, Don Cheadle, Mike Epps, Deon Cole, Angela Rye, Dr. Rheeda Walker, Charlamagne Tha God, Symone D. Sanders, DJ Khaled and Chance The Rapper
Special to Simulcast Across BET, BET HER, BET International Channels and to Over-the-Air Broadcast Viewers via Bounce
BET Has Partnered with United Way to Create a Relief Fund to Receive Financial Donations That Will Be Disbursed to Local Charities That Provide Food and Emergency Assistance to Those Who Need Help Most
For More Information Visit BET.com/COVID19
#BETCOVIDRELIEF
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET announces comedian and actor Anthony Anderson as the fourth host of the upcoming “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT,” special. Anderson joins stars Kelly Rowland, Terrence J, and Regina Hall as host for the two-hour special broadcast. “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT,” is set to air on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 8 PM EDT.
Performances include Alicia Keys with a special tribute to New York City, and a Gospel moment with Kirk Franklin featuring Fantasia, Jonathan McReynolds, Kelly Price, Tasha Cobbs, Le’Andria Johnson, and Melvin Crispell III. Exclusive performances by John Legend, Usher, Jhene Aiko, Chloe X Halle, CeeLo Green, H.E.R., Ella Mai, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Swae Lee, Tyrese Gibson, Buju Banton, DJ D-Nice, SiR, D Smoke, and Charlie Wilson.
Additional celebrity guest appearances will include Tiffany Haddish, Idris Elba, Ciara, Don Cheadle, Mike Epps, Deon Cole, Angela Rye, Dr. Rheeda Walker, Charlamagne Tha God, Symone D. Sanders, DJ Khaled and Chance The Rapper.
Expanding the reach of the telecast, BET will simulcast the special across BET and BET Her domestically, as well as their channels internationally bringing awareness to over 90 million homes. Additionally, BET will join forces with Bounce to help expand the audience to include free, over-the-air broadcast viewers with Bounce simulcasting “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT.”
Addressing the communities around the world, a global check-in segment for “BET SAVING OUR SELVES: COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT” will highlight how various regions around the globe are coping through COVID-19. BET Breaks’ International talent Nomalanga (South Africa), Flora Coquerel (France), and Jourdan Riane (UK) will report on how the pandemic is affecting their countries. British Hip Hop Artists behind the viral “Don’t Rush” social media challenge, Young T and Bugsy, and Idris Elba’s wife, Sabrina Elba, will make appearances as well. Internationally, the show will be broadcast on Saturday, April 25 in the UK at 9:00 pm BST, Korea at 9:00 pm KST, Africa at 6:00 pm CAT, and France at 10:30 pm CEDT.
The focus of the initiatives is to combat the racial disparities of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent findings have shown that Black Americans are being disproportionately harmed by the health and financial devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. BET, in partnership with the NAACP, United Way Worldwide, leaders in the African American creative, civil rights and business communities will provide critical financial, educational and community support directly to the African Americans hardest hit by this crisis. Corporate brand donors who have generously contributed to the fund include Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Toyota, Salesforce, McDonald’s, AARP, Pine-Sol®, Morgan Stanley, TJ Maxx, Weight Watchers, and NBA.
You can now donate to the fund online via BET.com or by texting BETGives to 51555. More information on BET’s partnership with UWW and additional extensions of our relief efforts are forthcoming. For further details, please visit BET.com/COVID19.
About BET
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news, and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa, and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
About United Way
United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. Supported by 2.9 million volunteers, 9.8 million donors worldwide and $4.7 billion raised every year, United Way is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit. We’re engaged in 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing our communities. United Way partners include global, national and local businesses, nonprofits, government, civic and faith-based organizations, along with educators, labor leaders, health providers, senior citizens, students and more. For more information about United Way, please visit UnitedWay.org. Follow us on Twitter: @UnitedWay and #LiveUnited.
About BOUNCE
Bounce (@bouncetv) is the popular multi-platform entertainment network targeting African Americans, with programming seen over-the-air, on cable, on DISH channel 359, over-the-top on Roku®, on mobile devices via the Bounce and Brown Sugar apps and on the web via BounceTV.com. Bounce features a programming mix of original series and movies, off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and events and more. Bounce is part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).
------------------------
Performances by Alicia Keys, John Legend, Usher, Jhene Aiko, Chloe X Halle, CeeLo Green, H.E.R., Ella Mai, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Swae Lee, Tyrese Gibson, Buju Banton, DJ D-Nice, SiR, D Smoke and Charlie Wilson
Gospel Performance by Kirk Franklin, Fantasia, Jonathan McReynolds, Kelly Price, Tasha Cobbs, Le’Andria Johnson and Melvin Crispell III
Additional Appearances by Tiffany Haddish, Idris Elba, Ciara, Don Cheadle, Mike Epps, Deon Cole, Angela Rye, Dr. Rheeda Walker, Charlamagne Tha God, Symone D. Sanders, DJ Khaled and Chance The Rapper
Special to Simulcast Across BET, BET HER, BET International Channels and to Over-the-Air Broadcast Viewers via Bounce
BET Has Partnered with United Way to Create a Relief Fund to Receive Financial Donations That Will Be Disbursed to Local Charities That Provide Food and Emergency Assistance to Those Who Need Help Most
For More Information Visit BET.com/COVID19
#BETCOVIDRELIEF
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET announces comedian and actor Anthony Anderson as the fourth host of the upcoming “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT,” special. Anderson joins stars Kelly Rowland, Terrence J, and Regina Hall as host for the two-hour special broadcast. “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT,” is set to air on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 8 PM EDT.
Performances include Alicia Keys with a special tribute to New York City, and a Gospel moment with Kirk Franklin featuring Fantasia, Jonathan McReynolds, Kelly Price, Tasha Cobbs, Le’Andria Johnson, and Melvin Crispell III. Exclusive performances by John Legend, Usher, Jhene Aiko, Chloe X Halle, CeeLo Green, H.E.R., Ella Mai, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Swae Lee, Tyrese Gibson, Buju Banton, DJ D-Nice, SiR, D Smoke, and Charlie Wilson.
Additional celebrity guest appearances will include Tiffany Haddish, Idris Elba, Ciara, Don Cheadle, Mike Epps, Deon Cole, Angela Rye, Dr. Rheeda Walker, Charlamagne Tha God, Symone D. Sanders, DJ Khaled and Chance The Rapper.
Expanding the reach of the telecast, BET will simulcast the special across BET and BET Her domestically, as well as their channels internationally bringing awareness to over 90 million homes. Additionally, BET will join forces with Bounce to help expand the audience to include free, over-the-air broadcast viewers with Bounce simulcasting “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT.”
Addressing the communities around the world, a global check-in segment for “BET SAVING OUR SELVES: COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT” will highlight how various regions around the globe are coping through COVID-19. BET Breaks’ International talent Nomalanga (South Africa), Flora Coquerel (France), and Jourdan Riane (UK) will report on how the pandemic is affecting their countries. British Hip Hop Artists behind the viral “Don’t Rush” social media challenge, Young T and Bugsy, and Idris Elba’s wife, Sabrina Elba, will make appearances as well. Internationally, the show will be broadcast on Saturday, April 25 in the UK at 9:00 pm BST, Korea at 9:00 pm KST, Africa at 6:00 pm CAT, and France at 10:30 pm CEDT.
The focus of the initiatives is to combat the racial disparities of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent findings have shown that Black Americans are being disproportionately harmed by the health and financial devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. BET, in partnership with the NAACP, United Way Worldwide, leaders in the African American creative, civil rights and business communities will provide critical financial, educational and community support directly to the African Americans hardest hit by this crisis. Corporate brand donors who have generously contributed to the fund include Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Toyota, Salesforce, McDonald’s, AARP, Pine-Sol®, Morgan Stanley, TJ Maxx, Weight Watchers, and NBA.
You can now donate to the fund online via BET.com or by texting BETGives to 51555. More information on BET’s partnership with UWW and additional extensions of our relief efforts are forthcoming. For further details, please visit BET.com/COVID19.
About BET
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news, and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa, and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
About United Way
United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. Supported by 2.9 million volunteers, 9.8 million donors worldwide and $4.7 billion raised every year, United Way is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit. We’re engaged in 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing our communities. United Way partners include global, national and local businesses, nonprofits, government, civic and faith-based organizations, along with educators, labor leaders, health providers, senior citizens, students and more. For more information about United Way, please visit UnitedWay.org. Follow us on Twitter: @UnitedWay and #LiveUnited.
About BOUNCE
Bounce (@bouncetv) is the popular multi-platform entertainment network targeting African Americans, with programming seen over-the-air, on cable, on DISH channel 359, over-the-top on Roku®, on mobile devices via the Bounce and Brown Sugar apps and on the web via BounceTV.com. Bounce features a programming mix of original series and movies, off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and events and more. Bounce is part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).
------------------------
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 12th to 18th, 2020 - Update #24
by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
Support Leroy on Patreon:
CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS - Hollywood and Beyond:
From YahooNews: Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?
From YahooNews: Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.
From Deadline: The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.
From TheNewYorker: The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.
From YahooNews: Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?
From YahooSports: Brian Allen, the starting center for the Los Angeles Rams, announced that he has twice tested positive for COVID-19. He is the first known NFL player to test positive for the virus.
From NBCSports: Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller of the Denver Broncos has tested positive for COVID-19.
From Deadline: "Saturday Night Live" performer, Michael Che, is paying one month's rent for residents of the New York house complex where his late grandmother lived. Che's grandmother, Martha, recently died of complications of COVID-19.
From NJHerald: An investigation has been launched into an elder care facility after 17 bodies are found piled into a small morgue at the facility.
From Variety: Thanks to a COVID-19 surge in orders, shares of Amazon's stock hits an all-time high. The company is currently valued at 1.1 trillion dollars.
From CNN: Actress and film producer, Rita Wilson (and wife of Tom Hanks), describes her experience with COVID-19 in her first interview
From YahooNews: President Donald once wanted to let COVID-19 "wash over the country."
From Deadline: Disney World to furlough 43,000 due to COVID-19 disruptions.
COVID-19 STIMULUS CHECK NEWS:
From YahooNews: Deceased people are getting stimulus check... and the heirs and spouses may be able to keep them.
From YahooNews: This article updates information on COVID-19 stimulus checks, including the introduction of a web tool that will let people track their checks.
According to the Washington Post, here is the timetable for when the IRS will start issuing checks to those who will receive their checks by mail:
Taxpayers with income up to $10,000: April 24
Taxpayers with income up to $20,000: May 1
Taxpayers with income up to $40,000: May 15.
The article has information about mailing dates after May 15th,
COVID-19 OBIT:
From Deadline: The legendary celebrity, film and TV hairstylist, Charles Gregory Ross, died Wednesday, April 8, 2020 due to complications of COVID-19. He worked on numerous film and TV productions over a nearly 30-year career. Ross worked on many Tyler Perry productions and he received a 2005 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work on the 2005 HBO movie, "Lackawanna Blues."
------------------------------------------------
REGULAR ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
MOVIES - From BET: Halle Berry debuts her chiseled abs and hard new body as she preps for the martial arts drama, "Bruised," which she is directing.
TRAILER - From Variety: Actor Tom Hardy and director Josh Trank's Al Capone biopic, "Capone," will hit video-on-demand (VOD) on May 12th.
MOVIES-CHARITY - From Deadline: Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro offer a chance to win a walk-on role in Martin Scorsese's film, "Killers of the Flower Moon."
TELEVISION - From THR: The site offers a review of "The Last Dance," ESPN's 10-part documentary TV series about Michael Jordan and the NBA's Chicago Bulls.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: CBS has cancelled its Sunday night TV series, "God Friended Me" after two seasons. The two-hour series finale will be broadcast Sunday, April 26th.
BOX OFFICE - From Deadline: Universal Pictures is still collecting data, but it expects a record-setting digital rental weekend for "Trolls: World Tour." The DreamWorks Animation film was #1 on all on-demand platforms.
MOVIES - From VanityFair: The magazine has a first look at Oscar-nominated actor Timothee Chalamet as "Paul Atreides" in director Denis Villeneuve's upcoming "Dune."
DISNEY - From Deadline: Disney is in early development of a live-action/CG-hybrid of its animated film, "Robin Hood" (1973). Carlos Lopez Estrada ("Blindspotting") will direct.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Dwayne Johnson talks about a "Hobbs & Shaw" sequel and about losing out of "Jack Reacher" to Tom Cruise.
OBITS:
From Deadline: Award-winning film, television, and stage actor, Brian Dennehy, has died at the age of 81, Wednesday, April 15, 2020, of cardiac arrest. Dennehy is best known for his appearances in such films as "First Blood" (1982) and "Tommy Boy" (1995). He won the Tony Award for "Best Actor in a Play," including for 1999 revival of the play, "Death of a Salesman."
From Heavy: Prolific Japanese voice actor Keiji Fujiwara has died at the age of 55, Sunday, April 12, 2020 of cancer. Fujiwara was a voice actor in numerous Japanese anime film ("Crayon Shin-chan" franchise) and television series ("Fullmetal Alchemist," "Kingdom Hearts") and video games ("Final Fantasy" franchise). He also provided the Japanese dub for numerous English-language live-action movies. He was most notably the Japanese voice dub for actor Robert Downey, Jr., providing the Japanese voice for Downey's "Tony Stark/Iron Man" and "Sherlock Holmes."
From CNN: American actor and animation voice actor, Danny Goldman, has died at the age of 80, Monday, April 12, 2020, has died from complications of two strokes he suffered earlier this year. Goldman is best known for being the voice of "Brainy Smurf" on NBC's Saturday morning animation series, "The Smurfs" (1981 to 1989). His most memorable scene in a movie was as an annoying medical student vexing Gene Wilder in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" (1974).
From BleacherReport: Former NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has died at the age of 36, Sunday, April 12, 2020 in a single-car crash. Jackson played in the NFL from 2006 to 2015. It was during his second stint with the Seattle Seahawks (2013-2015) that he was a member of the Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVIII (#48 held on Feb. 2nd, 2014) championship team. Since 2019, he had been a quarterbacks coach with Tennessee State University.
From CNN: American entrepreneur, publisher, businessman, philanthropist, and advocate of African-American businesses, Earl G. Graves, Sr., has died at the age of 85, Monday, April 6, 2020 of complications from Alzheimer's disease. Graves was best known for founding "Black Enterprise" magazine, which was founded to focus on Black entrepreneurs and Black businesses.
Support Leroy on Patreon:
CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS - Hollywood and Beyond:
From YahooNews: Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?
From YahooNews: Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.
From Deadline: The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.
From TheNewYorker: The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.
From YahooNews: Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?
From YahooSports: Brian Allen, the starting center for the Los Angeles Rams, announced that he has twice tested positive for COVID-19. He is the first known NFL player to test positive for the virus.
From NBCSports: Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller of the Denver Broncos has tested positive for COVID-19.
From Deadline: "Saturday Night Live" performer, Michael Che, is paying one month's rent for residents of the New York house complex where his late grandmother lived. Che's grandmother, Martha, recently died of complications of COVID-19.
From NJHerald: An investigation has been launched into an elder care facility after 17 bodies are found piled into a small morgue at the facility.
From Variety: Thanks to a COVID-19 surge in orders, shares of Amazon's stock hits an all-time high. The company is currently valued at 1.1 trillion dollars.
From CNN: Actress and film producer, Rita Wilson (and wife of Tom Hanks), describes her experience with COVID-19 in her first interview
From YahooNews: President Donald once wanted to let COVID-19 "wash over the country."
From Deadline: Disney World to furlough 43,000 due to COVID-19 disruptions.
COVID-19 STIMULUS CHECK NEWS:
From YahooNews: Deceased people are getting stimulus check... and the heirs and spouses may be able to keep them.
From YahooNews: This article updates information on COVID-19 stimulus checks, including the introduction of a web tool that will let people track their checks.
According to the Washington Post, here is the timetable for when the IRS will start issuing checks to those who will receive their checks by mail:
Taxpayers with income up to $10,000: April 24
Taxpayers with income up to $20,000: May 1
Taxpayers with income up to $40,000: May 15.
The article has information about mailing dates after May 15th,
COVID-19 OBIT:
From Deadline: The legendary celebrity, film and TV hairstylist, Charles Gregory Ross, died Wednesday, April 8, 2020 due to complications of COVID-19. He worked on numerous film and TV productions over a nearly 30-year career. Ross worked on many Tyler Perry productions and he received a 2005 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work on the 2005 HBO movie, "Lackawanna Blues."
------------------------------------------------
REGULAR ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
MOVIES - From BET: Halle Berry debuts her chiseled abs and hard new body as she preps for the martial arts drama, "Bruised," which she is directing.
TRAILER - From Variety: Actor Tom Hardy and director Josh Trank's Al Capone biopic, "Capone," will hit video-on-demand (VOD) on May 12th.
MOVIES-CHARITY - From Deadline: Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro offer a chance to win a walk-on role in Martin Scorsese's film, "Killers of the Flower Moon."
TELEVISION - From THR: The site offers a review of "The Last Dance," ESPN's 10-part documentary TV series about Michael Jordan and the NBA's Chicago Bulls.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: CBS has cancelled its Sunday night TV series, "God Friended Me" after two seasons. The two-hour series finale will be broadcast Sunday, April 26th.
BOX OFFICE - From Deadline: Universal Pictures is still collecting data, but it expects a record-setting digital rental weekend for "Trolls: World Tour." The DreamWorks Animation film was #1 on all on-demand platforms.
MOVIES - From VanityFair: The magazine has a first look at Oscar-nominated actor Timothee Chalamet as "Paul Atreides" in director Denis Villeneuve's upcoming "Dune."
DISNEY - From Deadline: Disney is in early development of a live-action/CG-hybrid of its animated film, "Robin Hood" (1973). Carlos Lopez Estrada ("Blindspotting") will direct.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Dwayne Johnson talks about a "Hobbs & Shaw" sequel and about losing out of "Jack Reacher" to Tom Cruise.
OBITS:
From Deadline: Award-winning film, television, and stage actor, Brian Dennehy, has died at the age of 81, Wednesday, April 15, 2020, of cardiac arrest. Dennehy is best known for his appearances in such films as "First Blood" (1982) and "Tommy Boy" (1995). He won the Tony Award for "Best Actor in a Play," including for 1999 revival of the play, "Death of a Salesman."
From Heavy: Prolific Japanese voice actor Keiji Fujiwara has died at the age of 55, Sunday, April 12, 2020 of cancer. Fujiwara was a voice actor in numerous Japanese anime film ("Crayon Shin-chan" franchise) and television series ("Fullmetal Alchemist," "Kingdom Hearts") and video games ("Final Fantasy" franchise). He also provided the Japanese dub for numerous English-language live-action movies. He was most notably the Japanese voice dub for actor Robert Downey, Jr., providing the Japanese voice for Downey's "Tony Stark/Iron Man" and "Sherlock Holmes."
From CNN: American actor and animation voice actor, Danny Goldman, has died at the age of 80, Monday, April 12, 2020, has died from complications of two strokes he suffered earlier this year. Goldman is best known for being the voice of "Brainy Smurf" on NBC's Saturday morning animation series, "The Smurfs" (1981 to 1989). His most memorable scene in a movie was as an annoying medical student vexing Gene Wilder in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" (1974).
From BleacherReport: Former NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has died at the age of 36, Sunday, April 12, 2020 in a single-car crash. Jackson played in the NFL from 2006 to 2015. It was during his second stint with the Seattle Seahawks (2013-2015) that he was a member of the Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVIII (#48 held on Feb. 2nd, 2014) championship team. Since 2019, he had been a quarterbacks coach with Tennessee State University.
From CNN: American entrepreneur, publisher, businessman, philanthropist, and advocate of African-American businesses, Earl G. Graves, Sr., has died at the age of 85, Monday, April 6, 2020 of complications from Alzheimer's disease. Graves was best known for founding "Black Enterprise" magazine, which was founded to focus on Black entrepreneurs and Black businesses.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Disney+ Surpasses 50 Million Subscriber Mark
Disney+ Paid Subscriber Count Surpasses 50 Million Milestone
Launched Five Months Ago, the Service Is Now Available in More Than a Dozen Countries Around the World
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Continuing to delight consumers around the world, Disney+ has now achieved another new milestone, with 50 million paid subscribers globally within five months after its U.S. launch.
“We’re truly humbled that Disney+ is resonating with millions around the globe, and believe this bodes well for our continued expansion throughout Western Europe and into Japan and all of Latin America later this year”
“We’re truly humbled that Disney+ is resonating with millions around the globe, and believe this bodes well for our continued expansion throughout Western Europe and into Japan and all of Latin America later this year,” said Kevin Mayer, Chairman of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International. “Great storytelling inspires and uplifts, and we are in the fortunate position of being able to deliver a vast array of great entertainment rooted in joy and optimism on Disney+.”
In the past two weeks, Disney+ rolled out in eight Western European counties including the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland. Additionally, Disney+ became available last week in India, where it is offered in conjunction with the existing Hotstar service, and already accounts for approximately eight million of Disney+’s 50 million paid subscribers.
ABOUT DISNEY+
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. As part of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment, Disney+ is available on most internet-connected devices and offers commercial-free programming with a variety of original feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series and short-form content. Alongside unprecedented access to Disney’s incredible library of film and television entertainment, the service is also the exclusive streaming home for the latest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. Visit DisneyPlus.com to subscribe and/or learn more about the service.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements and information in this communication may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Federal Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements such as the expected performance of our goods and services, anticipated availability or timing of our goods or services and other statements that are not statements of historical fact. These statements are often characterized by terminology such as “will,” “believes” and similar expressions. These statements are made based on views and assumptions as of the time made and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update these statements.
Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such differences may result from actions taken by the Company, including strategic or restructuring initiatives (including capital investments, asset acquisitions or dispositions) or other business decisions (including regarding direct-to-consumer launch timing, platform or content), as well as from developments beyond the Company’s control, including:
changes in domestic and global economic conditions, competitive conditions and consumer preferences;
adverse weather conditions or natural disasters;
health concerns;
international, regulatory, political, or military developments (including government requests to delay direct-to-consumer launch in certain jurisdictions);
technological developments; and
labor markets and activities;
each such risk includes the impacts of COVID-19 and related mitigation efforts.
Such developments may further affect entertainment, travel and leisure businesses generally and may, among other things, further affect:
the performance of the Company’s theatrical and home entertainment releases;
the advertising market for broadcast and cable television programming;
demand for our products and services;
construction;
expenses of providing medical and pension benefits;
income tax expense;
performance of some or all company businesses either directly or through their impact on those who distribute our products; and
achievement of anticipated benefits of the TFCF transaction.
Additional factors are set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 28, 2019 under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis,” Item 1, “Business,” and subsequent reports, including, among others, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Forms 8-K.
--------------------------
Launched Five Months Ago, the Service Is Now Available in More Than a Dozen Countries Around the World
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Continuing to delight consumers around the world, Disney+ has now achieved another new milestone, with 50 million paid subscribers globally within five months after its U.S. launch.
“We’re truly humbled that Disney+ is resonating with millions around the globe, and believe this bodes well for our continued expansion throughout Western Europe and into Japan and all of Latin America later this year”
“We’re truly humbled that Disney+ is resonating with millions around the globe, and believe this bodes well for our continued expansion throughout Western Europe and into Japan and all of Latin America later this year,” said Kevin Mayer, Chairman of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International. “Great storytelling inspires and uplifts, and we are in the fortunate position of being able to deliver a vast array of great entertainment rooted in joy and optimism on Disney+.”
In the past two weeks, Disney+ rolled out in eight Western European counties including the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland. Additionally, Disney+ became available last week in India, where it is offered in conjunction with the existing Hotstar service, and already accounts for approximately eight million of Disney+’s 50 million paid subscribers.
ABOUT DISNEY+
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. As part of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment, Disney+ is available on most internet-connected devices and offers commercial-free programming with a variety of original feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series and short-form content. Alongside unprecedented access to Disney’s incredible library of film and television entertainment, the service is also the exclusive streaming home for the latest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. Visit DisneyPlus.com to subscribe and/or learn more about the service.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements and information in this communication may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Federal Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements such as the expected performance of our goods and services, anticipated availability or timing of our goods or services and other statements that are not statements of historical fact. These statements are often characterized by terminology such as “will,” “believes” and similar expressions. These statements are made based on views and assumptions as of the time made and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update these statements.
Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such differences may result from actions taken by the Company, including strategic or restructuring initiatives (including capital investments, asset acquisitions or dispositions) or other business decisions (including regarding direct-to-consumer launch timing, platform or content), as well as from developments beyond the Company’s control, including:
changes in domestic and global economic conditions, competitive conditions and consumer preferences;
adverse weather conditions or natural disasters;
health concerns;
international, regulatory, political, or military developments (including government requests to delay direct-to-consumer launch in certain jurisdictions);
technological developments; and
labor markets and activities;
each such risk includes the impacts of COVID-19 and related mitigation efforts.
Such developments may further affect entertainment, travel and leisure businesses generally and may, among other things, further affect:
the performance of the Company’s theatrical and home entertainment releases;
the advertising market for broadcast and cable television programming;
demand for our products and services;
construction;
expenses of providing medical and pension benefits;
income tax expense;
performance of some or all company businesses either directly or through their impact on those who distribute our products; and
achievement of anticipated benefits of the TFCF transaction.
Additional factors are set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 28, 2019 under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis,” Item 1, “Business,” and subsequent reports, including, among others, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Forms 8-K.
--------------------------
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 1st to 11th, 2020 - Update #43
by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
Support Leroy on Patreon:
CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 and Hollywood and Beyond:
From YahooNews: Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?
From YahooNews: Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.
From Deadline: The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.
From TheNewYorker: The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.
From YahooNews: Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?
From THR: Universal test the bounds of premium on-demand (VOD) with the release of DreamWorks Animation, "Trolls World Tour," the sequel to its 2016 animated hit, "Trolls." The film will also be released in the few movie theaters that remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From Truthout: Venture capitalist says that we should let "hedge funds" and billionaire CEOs get wiped out by the COVID-19 economic meltdown. And that venture capitalist is himself a billionaire.
From Deadline: The COVID-19 production shutdown of Hollywood has also halted production on the "Friends" reunion special that was set to debut with the streaming service, HBO Max's launch.
From YahooNews: Veteran big rig truck driver describes the "chaos" after COVID-19.
From TheDailyBeast: Filmmaker Tyler Perry payed for senior citizens' groceries in more than 70 stories combined in Georgia and Louisiana. These were people who shopped during the time reserved for seniors to avoid COVID-19.
From YahooSports: With the NBA shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard, CJ McCollum, says that some NBA players are living paycheck to paycheck.
From YahooEntertainment: "Harry Potter" author, J.K. Rowling, says that she is fully recovered from having COVID-19 symptoms.
From YahooNews: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who revealed on March 27th that he had tested positive for COVID-19, recently entered the hospital. Now, he has been moved to intensive care.
From YahooGMA: Disney has launched a new free website for quarantined family, DisneyMagicMoments.com.
From Truthout: In the age of COVID-19, is it time to abolish all debt? It's time for a "Jubilee Year."
From YahooEntertainment: Recording artist, John Taylor, bassist for the legendary British pop band, "Duran Duran," reveals that he tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks ago, and he reminds fans that testing positive doesn't not always mean death.
From PageSix: On Friday (April 3rd), Grammy-winning recording artist, Pink, revealed that both she and her three-year old son had tested positive for COVID-19
From Variety: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who revealed on March 27th that he had tested positive for COVID-19, has entered the hospital.
From YahooNews: President Donald and the federal government's 14 biggest failures in response to COVID-19.
From TheWeek: President Donald is incapable of taking the coronavirus outbreak seriously.
From YahooTheWeek: In having Navy Captain Brett Crozier of the USS Theodore Roosevelt removed, President Donald is playing with "revolutionary fire" in how he handles COVID-19 among military members.
From ShadowandAct: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused Universal Pictures and MGM to move their "Candyman" remake from its June 12th release date to September 25, 2020.
From CNN: CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin announced today (Fri., April 3rd) that she has tested positive for COVID-19. She said that she experienced symptoms on Thursday afternoon, when "chills, aches, fever," suddenly came on her.
From Deadline: British television writer, Dominic Minghella, creator of the comedy series, "Doc Martin" (ITV), says that he was hospitalized for five days with COVID-19 symptoms.
From CBSNews: Daniel Newman, a 38-year-old film and TV actor who appeared in 10 episodes of AMC's "The Walking Dead" across Seasons 6, 7, and 8, has said that he was billed $9,000 for a coronavirus test. However, the Georgia hospital that performed the test said that they could not process the test, but still billed Newman.
From YahooSports: NFL player agent, Buddy Baker, has announced that both his parents died Sunday (March 29, 2020), six minutes apart from complications of COVID-19.
From Variety: The All England Lawn Tennis Club has announced the cancellation of the 2020 Wimbledon Tennis Tournament (which was to be the 134th edition of the tournament), the first time the tournament has been cancelled since World War II. The 134th edition of the tournament will now be staged from June 28 to July 11, 2021.
COVID-19 OBITS:
From Deadline: Veteran actor Allen Garfield has died at the age of 80, Tuesday, April 7, 2020 of complications of COVID-19. He impressive resume includes performances in such films as "The Conversation," "The Candidate," and "Nashville."
From Deadline: Country folk singer-songwriter, John Prine, has died at the age of 73, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, of complications of COVID-19. A two-time Grammy Award winner, Prine was considered one of the most influential songwriters of his generation.
From YahooEntertainment: The actor Jay Benedict has died at the age of 68, Saturday, April 4, 2020 of complications of COVID-19. Although born in the United States, Benedict worked mainly in the United Kingdom and Europe after moving there in the 1960s. He best known work includes an appearance in James Cameron's "Aliens" (1986) and two episodes in the Brit TV drama, "Foyle's War."
From YahooSports: Former NFL placekicker, Tom Dempsey, has died at the age of 73, Saturday, April 4, 2020 of complications of COVID-19. Dempsey is best known for his time with the New Orleans Saints when he kicked a then-record 63-year field goal.
From Variety: The actress Lee Fierro has died at the age of 91 of complications of COVID-19. She is best known for playing the role of Mrs. Kintner, the mother of the second victim of the shark in "Jaws" (1975).
From CNN: The American jazz pianist and educator, Ellis Marsalis, Jr., has died at the age of 85, Wednesday, April 1, 2020 from complications of COVID-19. Marsalis was also the patriarch of a legendary musical family, which included sons, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, and Jason Marsalis, who all became jazz musicians. His two others sons are Ellis III and Mboya. Ellis' noted students include Harry Connick, Jr. and Terrence Blanchard.
From Variety: Singer, songwriter, and recording artist, Adam Schlesinger, has died at the age of 52, Wednesday, April 1, 2020. Schlesinger was the co-founder of the rock band, "Fountains of Wayne." He won three Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award. He was also nominated for a best song Oscar for the song, "That Thing You Do," from the 1996 film, "That Thing You Do!"
MOVIE NEWS:
From Variety: Director Luca Guadagnino says that actors Timothy Chalamet and Armie Hammer are returning for a sequel to his Oscar-winning film, "Call Me by Your Name."
From THR: How the 1918 Spanish flu shut down Hollywood.
From YahooEntertainment: Michael Caine said that Christopher Nolan is so secretive about his new film, "Tenet," that Nolan did not give him a full script, but only the pages he needed for his scenes. Caine said that he shot for only a day and acted with the film's lead, John David Washington.
TELEVISION NEWS:
From Deadline: The sixth and final season of Fox's "Empire" will end early. The 18th episode was the last filmed before production was shutdown because of COVID-19, and it will now serve as the series finale. It will air April 21st.
STREAMING NEWS:
DISNEY - From Newsarama: The streaming service Disney+ has surpassed 50 million subscribers worldwide.
DISNEY - From Deadline: Late last week Disney announced that its big-budget fantasy film, "Artemis Fowl" would move to the streaming service, Disney+, although it had been meant for a post-Memorial Day theatrical release. Disney executive chairman, Bob Iger, says a few more movies might be going directly to Disney+
STAR TREK - From Variety: Showrunner Michael Chabon is glad that his CBS All Access series, "Star Trek: Picard" is so divisive.
From BET: Will Smith has two comedy shows, "This Joka" and "Will From Home," to entertain in these difficult times.
OBITS:
From Deadline: The actor James Drury has died at the age of 85, Monday, April 6, 2020. Drury is best known for playing the nameless title character on the long-running Western TV series, "The Virginian" (NBC, 1962 to 1971).
From BBC: The British actress Honor Blackman has died at the age of 94, Sunday, April 5, 2020. Blackman is best known for several roles. She was "Cathy Gale" on the first two seasons of the cult British TV series, "The Avengers." She was the classic Bond girl, "Pussy Galore," in the 1964 James Bond film, "Goldfinger." She was also the goddess, "Hera," in "Jason and the Argonaunts" (1963)
From Variety: R&B singer and songwriter, Bill Withers, died at the age of 81, Monday, March 30, 2020. Withers actively recorded music from 1970 to 1985, and his biggest success came in the 1970s with such timeless hits as "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Lean On Me" (1972), and "Use Me" (1972), all or which he wrote. Withers won three Grammy Awards and was nominated for another four. Withers was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 (by Stevie Wonder).
From TheWrap: The actor Logan Williams has died at the age of 16, Thursday, April 2, 2020. Williams was best known for his role on The CW's superhero TV series, "The Flash." He also appeared in Hallmark's "When Calls the Heart."
From Deadline: Visual effects producer, Rebecca Ramsey, died at the age of 53, Saturday, March 7, 2020. Among her dozens of credits are "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," "The Hunger Games," and "Watchmen."
Support Leroy on Patreon:
CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 and Hollywood and Beyond:
From YahooNews: Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?
From YahooNews: Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.
From Deadline: The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.
From TheNewYorker: The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.
From YahooNews: Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?
From THR: Universal test the bounds of premium on-demand (VOD) with the release of DreamWorks Animation, "Trolls World Tour," the sequel to its 2016 animated hit, "Trolls." The film will also be released in the few movie theaters that remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From Truthout: Venture capitalist says that we should let "hedge funds" and billionaire CEOs get wiped out by the COVID-19 economic meltdown. And that venture capitalist is himself a billionaire.
From Deadline: The COVID-19 production shutdown of Hollywood has also halted production on the "Friends" reunion special that was set to debut with the streaming service, HBO Max's launch.
From YahooNews: Veteran big rig truck driver describes the "chaos" after COVID-19.
From TheDailyBeast: Filmmaker Tyler Perry payed for senior citizens' groceries in more than 70 stories combined in Georgia and Louisiana. These were people who shopped during the time reserved for seniors to avoid COVID-19.
From YahooSports: With the NBA shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard, CJ McCollum, says that some NBA players are living paycheck to paycheck.
From YahooEntertainment: "Harry Potter" author, J.K. Rowling, says that she is fully recovered from having COVID-19 symptoms.
From YahooNews: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who revealed on March 27th that he had tested positive for COVID-19, recently entered the hospital. Now, he has been moved to intensive care.
From YahooGMA: Disney has launched a new free website for quarantined family, DisneyMagicMoments.com.
From Truthout: In the age of COVID-19, is it time to abolish all debt? It's time for a "Jubilee Year."
From YahooEntertainment: Recording artist, John Taylor, bassist for the legendary British pop band, "Duran Duran," reveals that he tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks ago, and he reminds fans that testing positive doesn't not always mean death.
From PageSix: On Friday (April 3rd), Grammy-winning recording artist, Pink, revealed that both she and her three-year old son had tested positive for COVID-19
From Variety: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who revealed on March 27th that he had tested positive for COVID-19, has entered the hospital.
From YahooNews: President Donald and the federal government's 14 biggest failures in response to COVID-19.
From TheWeek: President Donald is incapable of taking the coronavirus outbreak seriously.
From YahooTheWeek: In having Navy Captain Brett Crozier of the USS Theodore Roosevelt removed, President Donald is playing with "revolutionary fire" in how he handles COVID-19 among military members.
From ShadowandAct: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused Universal Pictures and MGM to move their "Candyman" remake from its June 12th release date to September 25, 2020.
From CNN: CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin announced today (Fri., April 3rd) that she has tested positive for COVID-19. She said that she experienced symptoms on Thursday afternoon, when "chills, aches, fever," suddenly came on her.
From Deadline: British television writer, Dominic Minghella, creator of the comedy series, "Doc Martin" (ITV), says that he was hospitalized for five days with COVID-19 symptoms.
From CBSNews: Daniel Newman, a 38-year-old film and TV actor who appeared in 10 episodes of AMC's "The Walking Dead" across Seasons 6, 7, and 8, has said that he was billed $9,000 for a coronavirus test. However, the Georgia hospital that performed the test said that they could not process the test, but still billed Newman.
From YahooSports: NFL player agent, Buddy Baker, has announced that both his parents died Sunday (March 29, 2020), six minutes apart from complications of COVID-19.
From Variety: The All England Lawn Tennis Club has announced the cancellation of the 2020 Wimbledon Tennis Tournament (which was to be the 134th edition of the tournament), the first time the tournament has been cancelled since World War II. The 134th edition of the tournament will now be staged from June 28 to July 11, 2021.
COVID-19 OBITS:
From Deadline: Veteran actor Allen Garfield has died at the age of 80, Tuesday, April 7, 2020 of complications of COVID-19. He impressive resume includes performances in such films as "The Conversation," "The Candidate," and "Nashville."
From Deadline: Country folk singer-songwriter, John Prine, has died at the age of 73, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, of complications of COVID-19. A two-time Grammy Award winner, Prine was considered one of the most influential songwriters of his generation.
From YahooEntertainment: The actor Jay Benedict has died at the age of 68, Saturday, April 4, 2020 of complications of COVID-19. Although born in the United States, Benedict worked mainly in the United Kingdom and Europe after moving there in the 1960s. He best known work includes an appearance in James Cameron's "Aliens" (1986) and two episodes in the Brit TV drama, "Foyle's War."
From YahooSports: Former NFL placekicker, Tom Dempsey, has died at the age of 73, Saturday, April 4, 2020 of complications of COVID-19. Dempsey is best known for his time with the New Orleans Saints when he kicked a then-record 63-year field goal.
From Variety: The actress Lee Fierro has died at the age of 91 of complications of COVID-19. She is best known for playing the role of Mrs. Kintner, the mother of the second victim of the shark in "Jaws" (1975).
From CNN: The American jazz pianist and educator, Ellis Marsalis, Jr., has died at the age of 85, Wednesday, April 1, 2020 from complications of COVID-19. Marsalis was also the patriarch of a legendary musical family, which included sons, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, and Jason Marsalis, who all became jazz musicians. His two others sons are Ellis III and Mboya. Ellis' noted students include Harry Connick, Jr. and Terrence Blanchard.
From Variety: Singer, songwriter, and recording artist, Adam Schlesinger, has died at the age of 52, Wednesday, April 1, 2020. Schlesinger was the co-founder of the rock band, "Fountains of Wayne." He won three Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award. He was also nominated for a best song Oscar for the song, "That Thing You Do," from the 1996 film, "That Thing You Do!"
MOVIE NEWS:
From Variety: Director Luca Guadagnino says that actors Timothy Chalamet and Armie Hammer are returning for a sequel to his Oscar-winning film, "Call Me by Your Name."
From THR: How the 1918 Spanish flu shut down Hollywood.
From YahooEntertainment: Michael Caine said that Christopher Nolan is so secretive about his new film, "Tenet," that Nolan did not give him a full script, but only the pages he needed for his scenes. Caine said that he shot for only a day and acted with the film's lead, John David Washington.
TELEVISION NEWS:
From Deadline: The sixth and final season of Fox's "Empire" will end early. The 18th episode was the last filmed before production was shutdown because of COVID-19, and it will now serve as the series finale. It will air April 21st.
STREAMING NEWS:
DISNEY - From Newsarama: The streaming service Disney+ has surpassed 50 million subscribers worldwide.
DISNEY - From Deadline: Late last week Disney announced that its big-budget fantasy film, "Artemis Fowl" would move to the streaming service, Disney+, although it had been meant for a post-Memorial Day theatrical release. Disney executive chairman, Bob Iger, says a few more movies might be going directly to Disney+
STAR TREK - From Variety: Showrunner Michael Chabon is glad that his CBS All Access series, "Star Trek: Picard" is so divisive.
From BET: Will Smith has two comedy shows, "This Joka" and "Will From Home," to entertain in these difficult times.
OBITS:
From Deadline: The actor James Drury has died at the age of 85, Monday, April 6, 2020. Drury is best known for playing the nameless title character on the long-running Western TV series, "The Virginian" (NBC, 1962 to 1971).
From BBC: The British actress Honor Blackman has died at the age of 94, Sunday, April 5, 2020. Blackman is best known for several roles. She was "Cathy Gale" on the first two seasons of the cult British TV series, "The Avengers." She was the classic Bond girl, "Pussy Galore," in the 1964 James Bond film, "Goldfinger." She was also the goddess, "Hera," in "Jason and the Argonaunts" (1963)
From Variety: R&B singer and songwriter, Bill Withers, died at the age of 81, Monday, March 30, 2020. Withers actively recorded music from 1970 to 1985, and his biggest success came in the 1970s with such timeless hits as "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Lean On Me" (1972), and "Use Me" (1972), all or which he wrote. Withers won three Grammy Awards and was nominated for another four. Withers was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 (by Stevie Wonder).
From TheWrap: The actor Logan Williams has died at the age of 16, Thursday, April 2, 2020. Williams was best known for his role on The CW's superhero TV series, "The Flash." He also appeared in Hallmark's "When Calls the Heart."
From Deadline: Visual effects producer, Rebecca Ramsey, died at the age of 53, Saturday, March 7, 2020. Among her dozens of credits are "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," "The Hunger Games," and "Watchmen."
Friday, April 10, 2020
Review: "Thor: Ragnarok" Strikes an Odd, Pleasant Note
[This movie review was originally posted on Patreon.]
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive material
DIRECTOR: Taika Waititi
WRITERS: Eric Pearson and Christopher L. Yost and Craig Kyle (based on the comic book and characters created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige p.g.a
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Javier Aguirresarobe, ASC (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Zene Baker and Joel Negron
COMPOSER: Mark Mothersbaugh
NAACP Image Award winner
SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION/DRAMA
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Taika Waititi (voice), and Clancy Brown (voice) with Stan Lee
Thor: Ragnarok is a 2017 superhero movie from Marvel Studios, directed by Taika Waititi. It is the third film in Marvel's Thor film series, following Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013). Thor is a Marvel Comics character that first appeared in the comic book, Journey into Mystery #83 (cover dated: August 1962). Created by artist Jack Kirby and writers (and siblings) Stan Lee and Larry Leiber, Thor is based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name. Thor: Ragnarok finds the Norse god of thunder a slave on an alien world while his home of Asgard is controlled by the goddess of death.
Thor: Ragnarok opens two years after the battle of Sokovia (as seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron). Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned by the fire demon, Surtur (voice of Clancy Brown), who reveals that Thor's father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), is no longer on the realm of Asgard. Surtur explains that he himself will destroy the realm by uniting his crown with the “Eternal Flame” that burns in Odin's vault, thus initiating the prophesied end-times, “Ragnarök.” Thor frees himself and defeats Surtur, and he takes Surtur's crown, believing that he has prevented Ragnarök.
The threats to Asgard have not ended. Thor's estranged brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), is posing as Odin, but Thor and Loki eventually find Odin in Norway. Odin explains to his sons that he is dying and that his death will free his firstborn child, Hela (Cate Blanchett), from a prison where he sealed her long ago. When Hela is freed, Ragnarök is imminent. But before Thor can stop Hela and save Asgard, he must escape from his own imprisonment, the garbage planet, Sakaar, where he is an enslaved gladiator. And Thor's greatest opponent turns out to be an old friend.
Thor: Ragnarok plays out as one would expect. Thor saves the day with a lot of help from friends old and new and from adversaries-turned-allies old and new. What makes this film different and so very endearing is the work of director Taika Waititi, the New Zealand-born director whose films (such as 2014's What We Do in the Shadows) are known for the both the originality of execution and their offbeat sensibilities. That that originality and sensibility show in Thor: Ragnarok's color palette, its costume designs, sets and art direction. Some critics and fans have claimed that all Marvel Studios' films look alike, which is certainly not true. In fact, no superhero movie looks like Thor: Ragnarok, and Mark Mothersbaugh's fantastic, glorious, ear-candy musical score is the finishing touch that makes Thor: Ragnarok stand out from any pack.
Waititi and his cast make the most of Eric Pearson and Christopher L. Yost and Craig Kyle's screenplay. The pace and acting is lively, wry, spry, and witty, and, in fact, Thor: Ragnarok is, to date, the film that makes the best use of Chris Hemsworth's droll sense of humor. The film is a bit soft in the middle, but its unique visual appearance keeps the film from going dry.
Some time ago, I read that Marvel Studios had been trying to find the right balance of superhero fantasy, action, and humor in the Thor films, but believed that they had not quite done so in the first two films. The third time is the charm. Thor: Ragnarok is the best film in the Thor series, and it is the kind of superhero film that will appeal to movie audiences that don't normally watch superhero movies.
8 of 10
A
Friday, February 21, 2020
NOTES:
2018 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” (Tessa Thompson)
2018 Image Awards (NAACP): 1 winner: “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” (Idris Elba); 1 nomination: “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Tessa Thompson)
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